NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 166eme, France, Wine Review

Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$160.00USD

This has base wines from 1998 to 2010.  It is comprised of 45% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunie.  Light yellow/gold in color.  The nose is very nice with pears, toast and hay.  Perhaps just the slightest note of oxidation.  A beautiful creamy texture.  Good acidity but not intense.  On the palate, there is  a nice citrusy quality over a mineral base.  A long tart finish that leaves the impression of strawberries.  This took a bit of time/air to open.  Of course, Krug is magic and this wine lived up to its part.  

2004 Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vigna Asinone, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2004
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

This is the best that Vino Nobile di Montepulciano has to offer.  At age 15, it is still young and really needed some air time to open up.  Better than most Chianti's and many Brunellos.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  The nose is great with cherries, tea leaves and spice.  On the palate, a great backbone of acidity.  Lots of juicy cherry fruit layered tightly with forest floor notes.  Medium tannins.  Long finish.  This really needs some food to soothe both the tannins and the acidity.  Pasta or Pizza would be great but it can stand up to meat dishes as well.  

2008 Château La Garde, France, Bordeaux, Pessac Leognan, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, cherries and spice.  On the palate, this is simple and one dimensional but pleasurable.  Drinking well now.  Tannins all resolved.  More cherry fruit than cassis on the palate.  This is easy drinking and will work ok on its own or with a wide variety of foods.  Drink up in the next few years.  

2016 Bevan Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$80.00USD

Deep ruby/purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, spice and slight earthiness.  The palate matches the nose.  This wine is juicy with bigger tannins for a Pinot Noir.  Ripe fruit.  Good acidity.  This is a big Pinot and will work well on its own.  It was need some bigger food than some traditional Pinot matching foods but should work great with stews and meat dishes or heavy sauces.  It may still get better and will definitely mature.  Drink or hold now or in ten years.  

2008 Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Rouge, France, burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

This is a red Chassagne.  It drinks very well right now.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose earthy with black cherries.  Nice lush texture.  Black cherry fruit on the palate.  Delicious.  Some complexity.  Riper fruit than expected.  Good finish.  This will drink well on its own or with Pinot Noir friendly foods.  It probably won't get much better but should be good for another 5 to 7 years at least.  

2004 Poderi Colla Barolo Dardi Le Rose Bussia, Italy, Piedmont, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2004
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$75.00USD

We had been warned that this bottle might be tight and too tannic and not ready to open.  In retrospect, it seemed to be drinking fine.  Ruby in color.  The nose is dusty with cherries and slight rose, both fresh and dry.  There is also a bit of volatile acidity on the nose.  On the palate, this is young-ish.  It certainly has a long life left but is getting close to adulthood.  Medium tannins.  Strong acidity.  layers of cherry fruit and forest floor.  Nice finish.  Like most Italian wines, this begs for food.  Like most Italian wine, match the wines of  a region to the food of that region

2009 Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent Clos de Rochegrès Château des Jacques, France, Beaujolais, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

Stunning wine on its own, but then thinking this was a ten year old Beaujolais that cost $30 on release.  Wow.  Deep, deep garnet in color.  The nose is tight at first as this wine is still young.  As it opens, beautiful black cherries, slight sandalwood and just a hint of dry forest floor.  On the palate, a gorgeous silky yet voluptuous texture.  Black cherry fruit with great balance.  Layers of fruit, and dry earth.  An insanely long finish.  There are even slight tannins still showing.  This may yet improve a bit but it is fantastic now.  It easily has another decade left in it.  Delicio

2009 Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin Château des Jacques, France, Beaujolais, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

What a gorgeous wine.  Blind, I would probably guess a very good Burgundy at about 10 years old.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose is very nice with some funk on it.  Loads of cherries with some darkness to them.  Spice.  On the palate, the texture is really a highlight.  Silky yet burly.  Loads of black cherries on the palate.  It unwinds in the glass to show layers of damp earth with fruit.  Long finish.  This will easily do another decade and probably more but I am not sure if gets better.  And it is so good right now.  It will go with any food Pinot Noir works with.  

2013 Mojo Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
87
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$15.00USD

Poured at a Friday Wine Store Happy Hour, this is a ripe, slightly sweet, easy drinking Cab.  A classic, it is what it is wine to take or leave.  I liked it but the group I was with was divided.  It sells for around $15.  Inky purple in color. The nose is warm, dusty with black cherry fruit.  It drinks easy and would go well with food off the grill.  Juicy ripe black cherry fruit with light tannins on the palate.  At age 6, it should probably drunk sooner than later.  

2016 ARCOS Salice Salentino, Italy, Apulia, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$12.00USD

This is a blend of 90% Negro Amaro and 10% Malvasia from Puglia, Italy.  It sells for $12 which is a great value.  Ruby in color although deeper purple at the core.  The nose has black cherries, with a nice earthy merde quality to it.  On the palate, this is cleaner with nice black cherry fruit.  Slightly bitter on the finish, this really needs some food.  Medium tannins.  It should be good for another few years at least.  Tasty wine that will be good for summer barbecues and casual evenings.  

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